The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-07-22

dOOdTu OF let uc ~, OF" tudt anup
was called THE Curse CurInna
name Tor craft, eh Z There it was,
in good English letter, and as the
yawl was named So must be the ship
or brig or scho0bertO which it be-
longed have been named. The old
man refused to answer the interrOg-
atOries OF the captain or any OF the
men, aud though ate and drank he
did not appear hungry or thirsty.
He was fed forward, while his boat
was made fast asteru, and Tm tell
ing you honestly That be had scarce
~ set his loot OH Ours decks when
his banetul presence began to affect
us. There had been "a three knot
breeze with the promise OF an ln.
crease, but in ten minutes it began
to die away, and in half an hour we
were rolling about like a log. Away
astern of us were two vessels. These
crept up and passed us during the
forenoon, neither being five miles
away. We lay heaving aud rolling,
without breeze enough to flare Al
candle, while those two ships had a
five knot breeze to send them along.
1t was when our men saw this they
began to whisper among themselves
that we had n curse aboard. The
old man stretched out on The broad
of his back on the deck aud seemed
10 sleep, but now aud then he
chuckled to himself as ii highly
pleased at something. Our captain
was hard. hearted Eaglishpan,
who had little for sailors supersti.
tions, and he looked upon the old
man as ii castaway from the coast.
He couldn't deuy that the stranger
was a queer specimen, but he laugh
ed at the idea of his bringing a
curse aboard or chat the calm which
had settled upon us was due to his
presence. Daring tue day he made
several attempts TO rouse the old
mau up and get his story, but moth
ing satisfactory came OF it. 1t was
just before sundOwn when the last
attempt was made. 1t seemed to
anger the old fellow bey reason,
aud, his Iashings having. been Cast
off, he seized - brass Delaying pin
aud laid about bin in such ferO
cious manner that we had to disable
him.
"We did not have steerage way
all that day, although there was a
fair breeze 0iT either side Ofns, aud
after.the old fellow had been lashed
down tor the night heard the
men mutteriug among themselves.
There was ground for thinking
we had a curse aboard. Two hours
after nightfall 1t was accidentally
discovered that we had sprung
aleak, aud it WAS alter midnight be
fore we had Der pumped out, aud
the leak stopped. The news OF this
disaster seemed TO please the old
man, aud be laughed and chuckled
and cried out 10 the men that a
still greater disaster would present
ly befall them. He would not touch
either food or drink that night, aud
when one of the men brought q
blanket for a pillow his action was
awarded with curses. When the
men of the of watch we're turned in
some of them refused to go below,
seeming TO believe that disaster
lurked i'd the air. l gave them NO
orders, for, to tell the truth. there
was much about the old man that
upset my own nerves. l think the
captain VAS more or less mystified,
but he took care that | should not
know it.
"About 2 O'Clock in the morning
watch We got a slant OF wind aud
put the brig on her course. IL was
u starlight night, with scattered
clouds driving across the heavens
aud throwing darker shadows on
the heaviug waters. My watch
we're On deck aud alert, bet such of
the of watch as bad not gone below
were curled up here aud there tor.
ward aud asleep. l had looked at
the old mans lashings at 1 O'Clock,
aud they were secure, and he seem
ed to be asleep. A. two O'Clock
there was a sudden row forward,
several of the men called out ia
shaTp tones, aud the stranger came
running aft aud took a header into
the sea OF the port quarter. Next
minute he was 10 his boat aud
drifting away, having cnt the paiut-
er close TO her bows. He bad brOk-
eu his lashings by mighty effort,
aud When three or four men rushed
upon him be bad seriously hart two
Of them. He was overheard aud
au6y before fairly understood the
cas-, and did not in the least ne
gret his going. Que Of the men
bad a bad scalp sound, ami Was
pf.l,aring to help him dress Il
wben there came an awful shock,
and We we're thrown OF our feet.
The mainmast went with a crash,
CONFUSION reigned above aud below,
and about tue first thing I realized
from the hubbub was the captain
esiliug 10 loser the boats We bad
struck d water-logged cfalt Of some
rarf. aa.l The collision bad SET mill
race rnnniHe into the brig. We
~ Ne ynvl d0wn, tossed ia a keg
ofn. ler and 3 beg Of biscaiiR aud
seran ofus got away ia Der Just a.